The Hero and the Heavenly Handmaiden
by Infamously Me
Summary: Hylia is chosen by the Golden Goddesses to care for the Triforce after the mortals that inhabit the land below make a try for the golden power. It is here that she meets her future champion, the first hero. As adventure, infatuation and deception ensue, trouble brews in the heavens above as a jealous god begins to concoct a plan that will change the course of history forever. R
1. Taboo

___(A/N: Thank you for joining me on another outing for the Legend of Zelda. I can't guarantee that this story will strictly follow the canon that has been laid out, but I'll try my best to keep it true. Since this is a more undefined piece of the timeline, I'll have to take some liberties. This story will take some influence from the Skyward Sword prequel manga found in Hyrule Historia as well as the lore from Skyward Sword and Greek mythology. I greatly appreciate any and all support. A note to "Outlawed Love" fans, see my profile for info about the manga adaptation. Much love. –Infamous)_

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_Summary: Hylia, Goddess of Time, is chosen by the Golden Goddesses to care for the Triforce after the mortals that inhabit the land below make a try for the golden power. It is here that she meets her future champion, the first hero. As adventure, infatuation and deception ensue, trouble brews in the heavens above as a jealous god begins to concoct a plan that will change the course of history forever.  
RATED T_

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_**THE HERO AND THE HEAVENLY HANDMAIDEN**_

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"_The perfect beings that created our wondrous land beneath the heavens were not that perfect at all, for they themselves were nothing more than glorified, immortal sinners." – The Book of Mudora_

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**Act 1: **_**Taboo**_

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Once upon a time, in an era that has long since been blown away and cast aside like the dust in the wind, the world was simple. It was simple, but at the same time, complex. And though the world that the Golden Goddesses created was populated with simple minded people with simple minded goals, a world far more complex lived and thrived above at the same time in the heavens.

When most of the god fearing people in the world below carried out their short lives, they were acutely unaware of the complexity of the beings that watched over them and cared for them. As there were many things the human brain could never comprehend and an understanding of the divinities that manipulated their world was one of them.

But what is the difference between a man and a god? And I do not mean the obvious things such as one having an expiry date and the other being immortal. What is the _real _difference?

Before you learn the answer, we must start this tale with the heroine of it all, the heroine who would act as catalyst to a chain of events that would change both worlds forever. Our heroine's name was Hylia, the Goddess of Time.

The Goddess of Time was a humble and gentle soul in any sense of the word. She spent her days watching the time flow, making sure there were no unwanted kinks, rifts or splits forming where they were not needed.

Created by the Golden Goddess Nayru herself to solely perform this job, Hylia not only took great pride in her work, but also in her hobbies which included playing the harp, brushing her silky, yellow locks of hair and watching the mortals in the land below through a magic mirror that rested on the cloudy floors of her domain.

That last hobby was a most troublesome one as it led only to obsession. Watching people, as you may know, not only wastes time, but it is incredibly difficult to stop doing it.

Hylia would sit on her knees and peer into the large looking glass and stare into it for hours out of sheer fascination and curiosity.

There was one who did worry about the Goddess of Time's troublesome hobby. While the other gods ignored her, Hylia had a very dear friend in the Messenger of the Gods.

"I trust you are staying out of trouble, sister." A calm, male voice laughed from behind the Goddess of Time.

In the heavens it was considered respectful to refer to other gods as 'brother' or 'sister', even when they weren't. It was an honourific of sorts, comparable to 'Miss', "Mister" or "Master".

Hylia stood and spun around in her long, white gown to see a man with snow white hair, pointed ears and bright red eyes merely grinning at her with his arms crossed over his chest. He was garbed in a long white tunic with a slightly raised collar that had a red eye embroidered on the front. He wore light purple tights that tucked into dark purple boots. He was of a slim and athletic built that blessed him with the ability to move swiftly and quickly, which would probably prove useful for things such as sneaking up on his fellow gods. Such ability was necessary for the Messenger of the Gods.

"Shekai!" Hylia greeted her fiery eyed friend with a hug. "Tell me, brother, how was the land below?"

The red eyed messenger pursed his lips at his dear friend's first question. "Fine. Creations are behaving themselves, generally. My Gossip Stones tell me there is a family down there that believes that are divinely appointed. I will have to tell the Admirable Sisters about this at some point. I imagine Din will throw a fit."

"Gossip Stones? So, you took my idea after all?" Hylia nodded and crossed her arms over her chest with pride.

"It really is an easy way to collect information. One must simply place them and then no one expects a rock to be listening to them. Creations are such simpletons." Sheikai smiled before placing his hands on Hylia's shoulders. "It really is brilliant. I'm glad I asked you for ideas."

"Oh, I don't think mortals are simpletons at all, brother." Hylia scurried over to the large looking glass on the ground.

Various scenes of different people sleeping, sitting, swimming, talking, reading and doing just about anything else flashed in the mirror's reflection, much to Hylia's wonder, and Sheikai's dismay. There was no sound, therefore listening to the mortals speak was impossible, which was the downfall of the mirror and why Sheikai was needed.

"Sister Hylia, I truly believe you need to stop watching those... _things_..." Sheikai warned as looked over the Goddess of Time's shoulder. "You're getting attached to them and you know full well that once you get attached to something, it's very difficult to get free."

Hylia looked at her friend and smiled very sweetly. "Thanks for your concern, brother, but you need not worry. The flow of time is very uninteresting, whereas these beings are."

"What do you mean? What makes these creations so interesting?" Sheikai questioned nervously before fixing the raised collar on his long, white tunic. "You are not neglecting your duties to the time stream, are you? If more of those _things _start getting blips of, what is it they call it? _Deja vu_? The Admirable Sisters will be calling you out next."

"I'm not neglecting anything." Hylia turned her attention back to the looking glass and peered into it with a doe-eyed stare. She rested her chin her hands and sighed. "They're so... imperfect. They wake the day with the knowledge that they will one day die, yet it does not bother them. Instead, they occupy themselves with trivial things. Instead of trying to reach perfection, they try to be slightly better than whatever existed before."

"Sounds like a drag..." Sheikai chuckled and rolled his red eyes. "They work all their short lived lives to never have their wishes reach true form, and then they die."

Hylia looked at her friend in annoyance, her calm blue eyes narrowed. "That's why they're interesting!"

"No, sister, that is why they are weak and simple minded fools." Sheikai shook his head. "But what can you expect of souls that are attached to vessels with expiry dates?"

Hylia glanced at her feet to see the fluffy clouds beneath them. She narrowed her eyes as a thought flowed into her head. "Why did the Admirable Sisters create such beings in the first place?"

Sheikai stood a little taller when his friend posed this question to him. "We don't know. But if I had to guess, it would have been Din's demented idea. Having little toys to play with for a while seems like something the Goddess of Power would cook up."

"Well these _toys_ don't seem to interest her anymore, do they?" Hylia shrugged before stepping away from the looking glass and running her fingers through her long, glowing hair that seemed to flow slowly and gently with an unfelt breeze.

"No, they don't. That's why our Admirable Sisters created us lesser gods to look after this world they created. They sit in the upper heavens doing... I don't even know what they do up there! Drink ambrosia, I suppose, and they come down here to our level and hold court every once in a while to point fingers when someone has done something wrong."

Hylia couldn't help but laugh at her best friend's statement, because it was the truth. Despite sharing the heavens with them, the lesser gods knew very little of "the girls upstairs", as they called them, who created them along with the world beneath the heavens. Every now and again outrageous laughter could be heard from above, as well as singing and sometimes angry screaming.

Sheikai smiled back and then looked away. "You know... Hylia, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about for a while now."

"Oh?" Hylia raised her thin, yellow eyebrows curiously. "What's that?"

"Well... I... you see..." Sheikai bit his lip. And though gods did not normally blush, he felt his cheeks get warm. "I... ummm."

Before Hylia's dear friend could get his train of thought to leave the station, a horn blew loudly and obnoxiously from above.

Sheikai looked up with the Goddess of Time and frowned a bit. "Another meeting. I wonder who screwed up this time."

"We'll have to do this another time, brother." Hylia smiled before hurrying off, away from her friend.

"Yeah... another time." Sheikai hung his head down as if he were exhausted. He then lifted his head with worry and looked on as his friend ran away from him. "Please don't let it be you..."

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Hylia and Sheikai stood next to each other in a room that was so white that it would blind the mortal eye. A large, oval pool with strangely calm white water that did not wake or even ripple was located at the heart of the room. The water looked like a pure slab of white marble within a large off-white dish. Overlooking the pool was a white bench, elevated about one metre up on a balcony. But there was one more thing overlooking this pool and the two gods below. A dozen metres above the first balcony sat another one. This balcony had three white marble thrones on top of it. Each throne had a different symbol engraved on the top in red, green or blue.

"We're the first ones here..." Sheikai looked around the circular room and then up at the ceiling.

He saw infinite clouds above, but he knew it was just an effect. They had entered the court of the Golden Goddesses, and it was indeed an enclosed structure.

"Hmmm..." Hylia gave her friend a crooked frown. "Does it not bother you that we're always here first?"

Sheikai raised his eyebrows. "No. It just means we take these gatherings seriously. Besides, first tiers like ourselves are supposed to arrives first."

"Indeed." Hylia nodded.

The clouds within the room began to darken as a crack of thunder boomed.

"Here we go..." Sheikai rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "God of Weather, grandstanding again."

In a puff of black smoke and another clap of thunder a man appeared. His eyebrows were the shapes of thunderbolts and his hair was as dark as the darkest night, though it occasionally flashed a blinding gold colour along with the clouds on the ceiling. His toga was blue with a black belt wrapped around the waist and golden embroidery on the steams. With large pure gold bracelets on his wrists and a noisy rain stick attach to the toga's belt, the God of Weather, a creation of Nayru stood tall. "I was having a nice dream, and now I have to stand around with you fools."

"Brother Vane, good to see you." Hylia greeted her peer, ignoring his obvious anger.

Vane glanced at Hylia and scoffed. "Sister Hylia, was it _your fault_ this time?"

Sheikai waved a fist at the angry god. "How dare you accuse her of such a thing!"

"Oh, the delivery boy wants to fight, eh?" Vane chuckled as he made a thunderbolt appear in his hand like a spear.

The Weather God then felt a firm hand grab his wrist and then yank on it so hard it caused him to flip over onto the floor.

"Sister Rayna!" Hylia exclaimed as a goddess with silver hair glared down at Vane.

"Behave yourself, children." The Goddess of Combat hushed as she let go of Vane's arm. A pink haired goddess and a brown haired god poked their heads out from behind Rayna and waved.

"Sister Nadine. Brother Armin. How are you?" Sheikai asked as he watched Vane stand up.

The God of Weather's hair turned grey, as did the clouds above as he walked away from his peers.

There was a bit of casual banter amongst the first tier gods for quite some time after the incident. It was mostly awkward small talk, comparable to what one has when they are stuck in a place with individuals they may not necessarily like.

First tier gods were part of the hierarchy of divinity. Above them were the three members of the second tier and the Golden Goddesses on the third tier. Each second tier god was responsible for occasionally overseeing two of the first tier gods, and one Golden Goddess was the creator of all three divinities.

There was soon a dramatic _BANG _from the balcony closest to the ground. Three figures stood tall. Saul, Ruler of the Spirit Plain, Quazah, Goddess of Space, and Dolorem, God of Destruction stood shoulder to shoulder.

Saul's long, white robe and large red hood, Quazah's black and gold dress that fell just above her knees with a train that touched the back of her ankles and Dolorem's black shendyt style skirt that overlapped dark violet spandex shorts, seemed to blow in a gentle breeze that could not be felt.

Saul pulled his hood back to reveal his charming features. He had a rather aloof expression his face. With a black chinstrap beard and a buzz cut to boot, his big, bold and crafty dark eyes seemed to slowly flow from side to side. The Ruler of the Spirit Plain, creation of Farore, overseer of Armin, God of Justice and Sheikai, the Messenger God, appeared not to be one to be trifled with. "Good day..."

The first tier gods bowed their heads in respect at the greeting.

Quazah looked at Hylia with a most concerned expression. She no doubt knew of Hylia's hobby and feared for her. But she had a right to be fearful, as Hylia and Quazah were true siblings. What older sister would not worry? She fixed her long, elegant, yellow ponytail before darting her intelligent, grey eyes to Vane, her other underling. With her bangs hanging over her left eye, she watched. She appeared annoyed with him but also seemed less concerned. _Younger sister, you make me worry too much about you. Please don't let it be you._

Dolorem began to stare menacingly at Nadine, Goddess of Love and Rayna, Goddess of Combat. He knew Rayna would be fine, as she did her best to behave herself. But he knew all too well of Nadine's roving eye. He cleared his throat, adjusted his black and yellow neck collar and ran a stressful hand through his medium-length ginger hair. _How did I get stuck with the love bird?_

"I trust you are all well." Quazah stated before she and her peers sat on the bench nervously. Though she scanned the first tiers carefully, her eyes would not stray far from her younger sister as the air in the room became tense.

_BANG! _A puff of green, red and blue smoke rose up from the top balcony, demanding attention from those beneath it.

_About time. _Hylia winced as she and her peers looked up to see the Golden Goddesses appearing.

They all dressed in a similar, revealing fashion. Harem pants, bikini tops, golden hoop earrings and large golden bracelets. They were not as subtle and reserved as those beneath them. They were loud and possibly drunk off of either ambrosia or limitless power.

They sat down without saying a word. They only chuckled a bit, as if sharing an inside joke prior and recalling it at that very moment.

The lesser gods all bowed their heads in respect.

"I think you all know why we are here today." Nayru ran her fingers through her glowing, electric blue locks of hair as she crossed her legs and adjusted herself in her throne. "One of you has broken one of the Heavenly Taboos."

There was a gentle groan of annoyance amongst the first tier gods. Dolorem furrowed his brow at the disrespectful reaction. "Ingrates! This is why you will always be first tier!"

Nayru's calm eyes waited for the God of Destruction to settle down. "I realize that _some_ of you get annoyed when this happens, but it must be done. We cannot let such acts slip by unnoticed. Before you know it, all of you will be breaking the Taboos."

Din tapped her fingers impatiently off of the arm of her throne. "Just get it over with, Nayru! Unlike you, we don't have time to sit around and read over all the facts. Let's just do this ritual and oust the troublemaker and punish them!"

Hylia remained silent as she looked down into her flawless and glowing reflection in the oval pool. She tucked her harp more securely under her right arm before doing a scan of her fellow first tiers. They all had the same bored and pained expressions painted on their faces. _I wonder who broke the Taboos this time. Rayna, Goddess of Combat? No, she knows better. Maybe it was Vane, God of Weather? He's been causing a lot of trouble in the land below in the last few weeks, so maybe he stepped out of line? Armin, God of Justice? No, it was him last time. He would have learned his lesson. Maybe it was someone in the second tier? Saul looks after the Spirit Plain, he doesn't even pay attention to the world below. Quazah's the Goddess of Space, and my true sister, I don't think she has time to even look at other matters that don't concern her. Dolorem on the other hand, he's always up to something... God of Destruction, that's all he is good for. Sheikai...? _Hylia looked at her white haired friend in the corner of her eye. _He would tell me if he was in trouble. So that just leaves... Nadine, Goddess of Love..._

"Okay, everyone let's get this over with! Get out your Immortal Gifts and dip them into the Pool of Eternity." Farore ordered. "You know how it works."

Hylia held her golden harp in both hands and then dip the bottom part into the white water of the pool in front of her.

The other first tier gods and goddesses followed suit. Vane removed the noisy rain stick from his belt, Armin slowly lifted the golden weighing scales that rested on his shoulders like a milkmaid's yoke, Rayna removed one of her large, gold hoop earrings and Nadine produced a beautiful hand mirror. Sheikai produced a purple magnified glass and quickly fixed his white, wispy hair before dipping the lens into the pool along with the other gods.

Saul, Quazah and Dolorem all snapped their fingers making a scythe, a long staff and a hammer appear in their grips. The three items floated down towards the pool, and ever so gently touched the white water.

"I hate doing this..." Armin groaned quietly in Nadine's ear in annoyance. "Waste of time and energy. I should be blessing mortals with karma, not doing this ritual to oust a troublemaker."

Nadine did not comment, and merely bit her lip and pushed some of her loose pink hair behind her ear.

"Everyone ready?" Farore inquired and all of her underlings nodded back. "Good. Nayru, begin the reading."

"Ugh..." moaned Vane. 'Not this. You call out the Taboos every single time. Can you not just read the ones that may apply to the rule breaker?"

"Silence!" Din shouted. The room shook a bit as the Goddess of Power barked. "Shut up and do your job, Vane."

Vane rolled his eyes as Nayru looked straight ahead and began to speak.

"Heavenly Taboos, as set out by the Golden Goddesses to keep peace and prosperity in the heavens." Nayru began, as if reading straight from a book. "Taboo number one, all gods are to be under the jurisdiction of the Golden Goddesses at all times. Taboo number two, any lesser gods caught meddling in the matters of other gods, will be punished. All gods must know their duties and fulfill them as they see fit without assistance unless aid is asked for. Taboo number three, all gods of the first tier must report to their second tier superior whenever asked to do so. Taboo number four, if a god need be punished, that punishment is to be selected and carried out only by the Golden Goddesses. If any god is caught delivering punishment, they too will be punished. Taboo number five, gods may only smite mortals if they have been greatly wronged or have asked for permission from the Golden Goddesses. If enough prayers have been sent from the mortals to the god in question to smite an individual, that god automatically has a duty to end that individual's life."

The list of Heavenly Taboos ran on and on for another hour. All the gods and goddesses stood still with their items still partially submerged in the white pool. The ripples continued to congregate towards the centre of the water

"Taboo number eighty-seven, gods are not allowed to pursue mortals." Nayru stated firmly. The pool then began to glow as she finished her sentence. The ripples in the white pool started to gather on the side of the first tier gods, and eventually they became more focused in one particular area.

Hylia's eyes widened as it seemed she was close to falling asleep. _So it was Taboo eighty-seven again..._

Din and Farore looked at Naryu and nodded with intelligent eyes.

Saul and Quazah sighed as Dolorem's face grew angry with rage. "Which one of you first tier ingrates is sexing a _creation_ this time?"

All of the first tier gods stared at each other in confusion.

"It wasn't you again, was it, Armin?" Saul sighed and rubbed his temple in exhaustion. "Karma is not about physically rewarding people."

"No, Saul, it wasn't him this time..." Farore glanced at all six of the first tier gods and goddesses in disappointment. Her eyes then stopped at the pretty, pink haired Goddess of Love. "Nadine..."

"Nadine? I knew it!" Rayna screamed. "You little concubine!"

The Goddess of Love glanced at her hands that held the hand mirror. She said nothing.

"One of yours, Din..." Farore nodded.

"Yes..." Din sighed as she began tapping her fingers impatiently on the arm of the throne. "Nadine, what do you have to say for yourself? Plead your case."

The pink haired goddess glanced at her fellow first tiers with a pained expression. "He was so cute..."

"Ugh!" a haunted and collective moan echoed throughout the court.

Hylia again said nothing, but she could feel Sheikai staring at her, and she knew why. Hylia had a most dangerous and troublesome of hobby, and that hobby was watching the mortal beings on the ground below. Sheikai was of course afraid that the interest would become more focused on an individual and turn into infatuation with a specific mortal.

Din rolled her eyes. "Is there anything else you want to say before I punish you?"

Nadine nodded. "Yes, Admirable Sister, there is. And what I would like to say is that it was worth it. I'm the Goddess of _Love_, can you blame me? I hadn't had so much fun in centuries!"

Saul frowned at Quazah as if he were going to be sick from hearing Nadine's statement.

Din sighed. "Nadine, you know full well the punishment for breaking the eighty-seventh Taboo, your peers have only broken it three dozen times."

"Yes, Admirable Sister." Nadine nodded in agreement.

Din raised her right arm, and a red glow began to grow around it. "Nadine, Goddess of Love, you are sentenced to three hundred years of _sorting_."

I know what you're thinking, my friend... "three hundred years? Isn't that a little bit much?", but you do have to realize that to divine creatures such as the gods of old, three hundred years is nothing. When one has all of the time in the universe on their side without a fear of growing old and dying, without knowing true hunger, without a need to improve their physical form or feed their intellectual knowledge, three hundred years flies by.

_Sorting... _Hylia furrowed her brow. _I'd hate to do that job for an hour, let alone three hundred years._

The act of _sorting_ was the act of sending each individual departed soul to the Spirit Plan, the Underworld, Infinite Limbo or, in the most rare of cases, back to Earth for a second chance. It was considered grunt work for other worthy departed souls, even though it required a careful eye. Gods felt that they were too important and powerful for such foolish work, and that is why it served as punishment, it punished the ego. _Sorting _was also considered to be an incredibly dull job.

Nadine put her head down in shame. "Yes, Admirable Sister. I shame my peers, but as I said before, it was worth it. None of you could possibly understand unless you experienced what I experienced."

Dolorem cringed. "That's enough of that! Admirable Sister, deal with this mortal lover!"

Din sighed again as her gaze moved into Dolorem's direction. "Will you be quiet and let me do my job? You don't see me going around leveling mountains and whatnot. Why? Because that's the job I gave to you so I don't have to do those types of things. So pipe down and learn your place! And while you're at it, learn to check up on your underlings!"

The God of Destruction buttoned his lip after that.

Din then lowered her left arm and pointed her index finger at Nadine. A solid, red beam shot from her finger and hit the Goddess of Love in the forehead. "I am revoking your abilities until you have served your sentence. You will get them back when you have finished your newly assigned duty."

"Yes, Admirable Sister..." Nadine nodded.

"Now, get out of here and get to work!" Din waved her hand and the Goddess of Love disappeared in the puff of red smoke.

The rest of the gods were silent as they removed their Immortal Gifts from the white pool. They awaited more words to escape the mouths of the Golden Goddesses. What words? Any words would do, especially after ousting a god for breaking Taboos.

Nayru narrowed her eyes, as if she was sorting out an idea in her head. "Sisters, what say you to having a more indirect way of punishing any gods with roving eyes?"

"What do you mean?" Farore questioned, calling the rest of the holy divinities in the room to attention to the conversation.

"While we're all here, I figured we might as well do something to deter such acts." Nayru sat back in her throne, her blue hair wrapped around her neck and torso like a blanket. "_Kiss of Death._"

_The Goddess of Wisdom __**would**__ think of something as cruel as that. _Sheikai raised his eyebrow at the upper goddess' words.

Din shrugged. "Do what you must, sister. It is obvious that we have a problem as some of the lessers just aren't getting it. I think they do need to learn the hard way."

"What would this proposed _Kiss of Death _entail, Admirable Sister?" Saul quizzed as he fixed the button that held his long, white robe together.

Nayru scanned the white room, looking down at her lessers with a calculating eye. "If our fellow gods and goddesses do not understand the reason for our resentment towards mortal-immortal relations, perhaps having a greater consequence should be in order? I propose that all lesser gods be given a deadly kiss that will immediately put any human out of his or her misery."

Din nodded. "Clever. Why didn't I think of that?"

Farore frowned. "That's cruel and unusual. How can we punish creations for being infatuated with immortals? It's natural for all mortals to find gods attractive. Din made them that way to please her ego."

Din frowned at her green haired sister. "Well excuuuuuuse me for wanting some appreciation for my hard work."

"It does not matter as I think it's a good idea." Nayru shrugged. "If any of the lessers truly _love_ a creation, they will not do the one thing creations see as an act of love."

"Fair enough." Farore hesitantly nodded along with Din.

The three Golden Goddesses held out their hands and began to channel their energy.

_Hopefully this will keep you away from mortals, Hylia... _Sheikai felt his lips tingle a bit as the spell began to run it's course. He knew he would never need such a curse for he cared little for mortals; but as one who could see truth in the darkness, he knew one day his good friend would fall victim to the curse, and this caused the most disturbing, sinking feeling in his gut as he knew he could not protect his friend from her own devices.

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**Review it and tell me what you think. This chapter is merely an introduction to the world in which Hylia must dwell and the outrageous beings she must interact with from day to day. I wanted the reader to understand this and the restrictions as they will be important later on. **


	2. Most Humble Servant

"_And though Hylia was wise, and was a disciple of Nayru, she was not nearly as wise as she was beautiful. The true wisdom of being able to stand up for oneself always escaped her grasp."– The Book of Mudora_

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**Act 2: **_**Most Humble Servant**_

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Disturbed black birds flew out of the canopy of trees of a once peaceful forest, as if turning a blind eye to the bloodshed that they had witnessed.

Knocked to the ground in defeat, a blonde man heaved heavy breaths. His enemies running off, deeper into the woods like a pack of wolves. But unlike a pack of wolves, they did not finish him off. No, there was a greater prize on the line; the man knew that all too well.

The man gridded his teeth as he tried to sit himself up. He sensed the metallic flavour of blood gracing his taste buds before he flopped back onto the ground in exhaustion. "I'm not even worth their time."

His eyes closed and his consciousness faded as a scene from his past began to replay in his head like a drama.

* * *

"_Sit still." a familiar woman's voice rang in his mind. "I wish you would not be so rash sometimes."_

_A picture came into view inside the man's head. It was indeed a scene from his past and he continued to watch as if he were an audience member. _

_The woman was lightly tanned with mysterious yellow eyes. Her ears were small and her nose was hooked. But her most prominent feature was her flamboyant red hair and her revealing, purple outfit. She rubbed a red chu jelly on a large scar on her young son's right cheek before placing a bandage over top of it._

"_I could not allow him to speak to you like that." the young blonde boy looked down at his hands to see burns from abuse. "When father grows angry with you, he calls you _Thief Woman,_ as if it were a swear word..."_

_The red haired mother raised her eyebrows in a most worried manner. "And when does he grow angry with me?"_

"_Whenever you disagree with him on something..."_

"_You will never be your father, Link." _

"_I know."_

_The red haired woman sighed as she stood up from her crouching position and ran her nimble fingers through her son's hair as she passed him by. "You're a good kid..."_

_The young boy smiled at his mother's words. He knew she was proud of him and always would be, even if she wasn't his birth mother. He had defended her from his father, just as he had always done. _

"_Would you like to come with me on my next job?" Link's mother asked. "I realize now how grown up you've become."_

_At the age of twelve, the boy had been able to master the most combat and stealth skills, thanks to his adoptive parents, particularly his mother. When his mother extended this invitation, he was far beyond thrilled as she never took him with her._

"_Oh yes!" he nodded excitedly._

_His mother laughed as she approached the door. "Then crawl into bed and lay your head down, for tomorrow we leave at dawn, my son. I know you will make me proud."_

_His smile widened as he jumped backward onto his bed and threw the sheets over himself. "Hey, mom, what's your job tomorrow? What are you after?"_

_His mother did not turn around, and instead placed her thin, right hand on the doorframe and sighed. "Link, my darling, it's a __**godsend**__!"_

_The boy mouthed his mother's words to himself. "Godsend..."_

"_Now go to sleep, my boy. Tomorrow is a big day." His mother's voice chuckled. It was then followed by the tapping of her bare feet on the wood floor._

_Link ignored the pain he felt in his hands and on his cheek for he knew the day had finally arrived. His mother would take him to work with her. He could only wonder what relic they would steal that next day._

* * *

The blonde warrior opened his eyes and regained his confidence after seeing the scene from his past.

He cringed as he sat up and mumbled bitterly, "Triforce. I won't let them, take the Triforce!"

He pulled himself to his feet and gripped the sword in his left hand tightly before stumbling deeper into the woods.

The blood ran down his left arm from an arrow wound and dripped onto his sword's hilt. He ignored the sting and marched forward. The boy in his flashbacks had become a man, a man with a deep rooted intent for revenge.

* * *

Hylia watched the scene with earnest eyes. She sat cross legged, her white gown covering her body like a ghostly blanket. Though she could not hear the words the young warrior spoke, she was still infatuated with them. She was arguably infatuated with _him_.

Perhaps it was the way his blond hair fell, or how he carried himself. Whatever it was, the goddess was immediately attracted to the mortal. You could say that it was lust at first sight, but that would not be accurate. The gods were enlightened and could see beyond physical appearances and into the soul of a mortal if they truly pleased. Hylia had done just that, and it was through this insight that she became attracted to the soul.

But you must understand, my friend, that gods do not become attracted to individuals in the same sense as the mortal beings beneath them. When they peered into the deepest depths of a mortal soul, they could find things that were far beyond mortal understanding. These were things that were not conventional. Instead of looking at a soul's morals, they would look at a soul's morale. Gods being ego driven beings, would often be the most attracted to mortals if their soul housed incredible confidence, much like the young warrior that caught Hylia's eye had.

Hylia's doe eyed stare did not break as she watched the silent man carry his weakened body further into the forest. "Such an unbreakable spirit he has. I would love to meet him."

"Hylia!" a familiar voice scolded from behind the Goddess of Time's back.

Hylia let out a bit of a squeal before hopping to her feet and spinning around. "Sheikai!"

The messenger furrowed his brow before crossing his arms over his chest. "Hylia, didn't you sense me standing behind you? I've standing here for quite some time."

The Goddess of Time flinched a bit at her friend's stern words. He had seen everything that she had seen and done. "N-no you weren't."

"You're narrowing your scope on one individual, Hylia." Sheikai bit his lip. "This is what I warned you about. Nadine did the same thing, and look where she is now. She's stuck at the sorting desk for three hundred years!"

Hylia said nothing to her friend, as she knew he was worried and disappointed with her.

"You walk a dangerous line, sister. Though you aren't breaking any taboos by doing this, you are coming too close to doing just that. You'll either neglect your duties as the Goddess of Time, or you'll do something foolish like using one of your three blessings to go down to that mortal's level and have _interactions _with him!"

"That's what Nadine did. She used one of her blessings." Hylia looked away from her friend.

Blessings were something every lesser god possessed. Each god started with three blessings and one miracle for their entire existence. And though those numbers seemed small, you must realize that most gods had no need for them, most of the time.

Blessings were rule-free, no-approval-needed acts that a god could perform. Things that often needed permission, such as walking amongst the mortals or bestowing some sort of gift to a mortal needed no permission if a god or goddess used one of his or her blessings to do so.

Miracles on the other hand, were things that broke mortal and immortal laws. Acts such as bringing the dead back to life or giving a mortal immortality were considered miracles. Each god only had one miracle in their arsenal, and it was heavily advised that they do not gamble with their miracles as they may one day need them. Of course, the third tiers being as bored as they could be would gamble with their miracles as well usually by playing dice.

Sheikai placed a friendly hand on Hylia's shoulder. "Yes, that's exactly what she did. You must be careful. If you neglect your duties to the time stream, you will off balance the work of our peers."

Hylia glanced at Sheikai's hand and sighed.

Sheikai let go of his friend's shoulder and blushed a bit. "I'm only looking out for your best interests. Therefore, I think it would be best for you to stay away from the looking glass. Find something else to do. Perhaps you could find someone who interests you here in the heavens."

The Goddess of Time giggled a bit before picking her harp off of the ground. "What else is there to do around here? Aside from performing their duties, everyone else up here drinks too much ambrosia and gambles with their blessings."

"Well, I don't!' Sheikai argued.

"I know." Hylia ran her hand down her friend's cheek and then smiled. "This is why I value your friendship. We need not roll dice to tickle our whimsies."

Sheikai blushed again and shook his head. "Yes, but my duties take me away for periods of time. So, you must find something else to do. Perhaps if I were around more, you wouldn't be getting lost in the looking glass."

"Perhaps." Hylia gave her friend a sweet smile as she tucked her harp under her right arm. "Now, what was it that you wished to speak to me about before the meeting was called?"

The messenger's eyes widened as he knew what he wanted to say to her before. "Well, you see... I... um..."

Hylia tilted her head to the side curiously. "Sheikai, what is it you wish to say?"

"I... you know... I've always valued your friendship!" Sheikai started and then inhaled deeply, causing his chest to puff out a bit.

"Well of course!" Hylia nodded with another sweet smile.

"I've always valued your friendship but... sometimes I wonder..." Sheikai began to stumble over his words as he looked the Goddess of Time in the eye. _Stop looking at me like that! You're making this harder than it has to be!_

"Wonder what?"

"Well, you see, you and I are really close, and I've started to... umm... well for the last few centuries I've... er..."

Hylia squinted at her friend's strange speech patterns. "Do I have to read you to get this information out of you?"

"Oh no! I can say it! It's better if I say it!" Sheikai objected.

The last thing the messenger wanted was to have Hylia _read_ him. Reading was a power all gods possessed, and they need only place their hand on the top of the speaker's head to begin to have all information sent telepathically to them. It was handy in urgent situations when there was very little time to explain, but other than that, it could prove to be an annoying and intrusive power. Besides, a confession of the messenger's magnitude was not something that should be telepathically read.

"Then say it, silly!" Hylia laughed.

"Fine. Hylia, I'm-

The horns began to blow from above, interrupting the messenger.

Hylia gave her friend a disappointed frown. "Another meeting so soon? We'll have to do this some other time, Sheikai. Duty calls!"

Sheikai hopelessly watched his friend run off again, just like she had before. "This was _some other time_, and I blew it. Just like I blew it the last time and the time before that."

* * *

Din nervously tapped her index finger on her throne's arm. She and her sisters watched the lesser gods shuffle in. "I can't believe that _we're_ waiting on _them_."

"Hush now." Nayru whispered as the lessers took their respected places.

"This better be important..." Dolorem murmured but was surprisingly ignored by everyone else in the court. There was clearly something very wrong when the Golden Goddesses were waiting on their disciples to arrive.

Nayru looked at her sisters and nodded before speaking. "There is trouble brewing in the world below."

The lessers exchanged looks of confusion and concern before the Goddess of Wisdom spoke again.

"The mortals are making a try for the golden power that we left in their world." Nayru explained as she squeezed the bridge of her nose with her thumb and index finger. "We have decided that we need godly feet on the ground to protect our gift from mortal greed."

The lessers continued to look at each other in confusion and concern.

Quazah sat forward a bit. "And how shall those feet be chosen?"

"We have already made a decision as to who it will be." Farore replied. "We reviewed all of you and your proficiency and your understanding of the mortals."

"In the end, we have chosen the Goddess of Time to fulfill this task." As Nayru finished her sentence, the Goddess of Space and the God of Destruction stood up in objection from their bench. Hylia's eyes widened a bit as she stared at the white pool in front of her in shock.

"Admirable Sisters, be reasonable." Quazah's eyes flooded with concern as they darted quickly from her sister and up to her superiors. "Perhaps I could create a place for the safe keeping of your great gift? A sacred realm of sorts. It would be no burden on me."

"Yes, Admirable Sisters, be reasonable!" Dolorem huffed before pointing at Quazah and Saul. "Hylia is but a child compared the three of us! Choose one of the second tiers instead!"

Saul sat back in his spot on the bench and tried to make himself appear small, as if not wanting anything to do with the conversation. The ruler of the Spirit Plain folded his hands together and raised them to his mouth, as if trying to calculate something in his head. "Second Siblings, Dolorem, Quazah, please be seated."

The God of Destruction and the Goddess of Space spun around and looked at the hooded god that sat at the end of their bench.

"Why?" Dolorem shouted. "This is an outrage!"

Quazah exhaled heavily and tried to find her balance once more. "Though I do not align myself with Dolorem's fury, I too am concerned about this decision."

"Well, of course you are, Sister Quazah." Saul nodded wisely from under his hood. "Young Sister Hylia is your true, younger sister. You have right to worry. But you have no right to object to the wishes of the Admirable Sisters. When it comes down to it, you and I, and everyone else here are nothing more than the most humble servants of our golden creators."

Dolorem furrowed his red eyebrows before sitting down with Quazah. "You are most wise for a disciple of Farore."

* * *

_Me... protector of the golden power? How? _Hylia did not end her gaze at the white pool in front of her. _I don't have a choice in the matter. If the Admirable Sisters think I can do it, then I will do it._

Sheikai couldn't stop staring at his friend in worry, while the other gods stared at her with surprise and jealousy. _Hylia..._

Hylia bowed her head as if she had found her resolve. "It is the wish of my most Admirable Sisters to carry out this duty. It is not my place to question their decision. I am nothing more than a most humble servant to their golden power."

"Yes, yes it is!" Sheikai argued. "If it concerns you, it is your place to question!"

Vane glared at Sheikai. "The delivery boy wants the mortal lands all to himself. The mortals have this thing called _sharing_, you should try it."

Sheikai looked at the weather god in anguish, but he chose not to comment back. He instead looked back at Hylia with great worry. "Hylia, you can't be serious."

"Know your place, messenger!" Din hissed as she hit her fist off of the arm of her marble throne. "Hylia, do you accept the job?"

_Does she have a choice? _Sheikai crossed his arms.

The Goddess of Time closed her eyes and nodded slowly. "I do."

"Very well." Nayru looked at her underling with a proud smile before holding out her palms. "Therefore, we bestow your duties as the Goddess of Time, to your superior sister, Quazah."

"Quazah, do you accept these duties?" Farore asked.

The Goddess of Space watched her younger sister with concern. She paused before fixing her long ponytail and biting her lip. She snapped her fingers, making her staff appear in her clutch. It was a silent form of agreement.

Hylia looked up at her sister and sent her a meek smile, as if that would calm the nerves of a concerned older sister. She then raised her harp in Quazah's direction, ready to transfer her duties to her.

From under the bangs that hung over her left eye, the Goddess of Space continued to wear her troubled expression before raising her staff in Hylia's direction.

Silence followed a stream of white waves that were released from Hylia's harp and towards Quazah's staff.

"Hylia, though you no longer have duties to the time stream, you will still be able to use your time manipulation abilities, as they have been honed into your being from the moment you were created." Nayru explained before raising her right hand in Hylia's direction. "You are to protect our golden power until further notice, understood?"

Hylia nodded.

"_Further notice_? It could be millennia before anything changes!" Sheikai shouted abruptly.

Farore narrowed her eyes and sighed before pointing an index finger at the messenger. "Silence..."

Sheikai then felt his voice fade inside of his throat. He opened his mouth, trying to say something else, but no sound left him. The Goddess of Courage, his creator had muted him. It was no surprise as the messenger was speaking out of line.

Hylia placed her nimble hand on her friend's shoulder in reassurance before letting go and unintentionally brushing her hand against his arm.

The Goddess of Time looked at her hand with aloof eyes as it began to vanish with a strange sparkle. She knew that she would soon materialize in the mortal realm. She let out a sigh as her eyes glanced at everyone else in the court. She saw Saul's aloof expression, Dolorem's fuming features and Quazah's creased and concerned brow. She could only imagine what everyone wished to say to her.

Hylia had long been ignored by her peers in the heavens. She was often underrated and unappreciated as well. The day had finally come for her to shine. She had finally taken centre stage, no longer second fiddle to Quazah. But little did she know how this decision would eventually change everything.

* * *

**Review it. I'm working a web show now, so a lot of my creative juices are going into that (inbox me if I want information on that, you probably won't, but you never know). I also have a full time job. Throw in some health issues and continuing tech problems...updates will be slower on this. Please make an effort to check out the Outlawed Love manga if you were a fan of that story (info on my profile). **


	3. Partners

"_The first of his kind, Hylia's champion was not only a man of incredible valour, but also a man of incredible deception. He was shrewd, humble and handsome, but because of his deceptiveness, he could also be incredibly ugly. He capitalized on the weak and the naive, and the Goddess of Time was a prime example of naivety when it came to mortal ways. It is perhaps better that the land beneath the heavens has never seen a hero quite like him since." – The Book of Mudora_

* * *

**Act 3: **_**Partners**_

* * *

Opening and closing her eyes made the comforting confines of the white courtroom fade like a distant memory. When Hylia opened her eyes again she found herself standing in the middle of a shrub, surrounded by green and other wildlife.

Awestricken, she tumbled out of the bushes and regained her balance. "Amazing!"

Like a child hopping into their favourite bedtime story, it was like stepping into a fantasy world for the goddess. Something she had often watched from afar like a secret admirer had finally become part of her reality, and she was thrilled. She didn't know where to start first. Where could she start? The green grass? The trees? The birds? The blue sky? The smell of pine? The people? The people... that was the most interesting thing indeed. The beings that populated the land and what they did was very different and so incredibly fascinating to Hylia that she knew that at one point she would have to interact with the people.

But of course, her true duty was never too far from her mind. She was there to protect the Triforce from the people that fascinated her to no end.

Pushing strands of her glowing, yellow hair behind her ear, she began to wander deeper into the beast of the forest. But it was not long before she heard voices in the distance. Male voices were echoing through the trees and they sounded angered and full of rage.

Hylia's first instinct was to run towards the sound. Through the thicket like a bat out of hell, Hylia sprinted towards the foreign sound of human voices. She knew in her heart that she was close to where she had to be, and something told her that these were the humans that were making a try for the golden power.

She eventually saw the owners of the voices. Hiding behind a tree, she spied upon seven grown men stood in a grass clearing beneath a tall rock face with their arms crossed, none of them seemed to be willing to back down, and she soon saw why.

Hylia felt a pang in her chest; much like the ones she would feel when the time stream was unbalanced. She searched the area with her eyes and then she saw it. A few metres away from the men were three sparkling triangles that seemed to float in mid-air. The ground beneath it was paved with cobblestones, as if to boarder it's holy power from the grass.

But then Hylia saw something even more interesting.

"It's him..." Hylia whispered to herself as she watched the thieves knock down a man who was clad in green. "It's really him."

It was the man that she had seen not so long before in her looking glass. The man she had become attracted to almost instantly after peering into his morale.

She was both excited and nervous. She just had to protect him, he was getting pulverised after all. But she truly knew nothing about him. Perhaps it would have been best for her to remain hidden and only emerge after the thugs had taken each other out. Perhaps she would have had to fend off fewer enemies if she had done this strategy. But Hylia would not follow such a strategy.

She jumped out of the bushes and hollered the first thing that came to mind. "Stop right there!"

The group of men turned to face her and began to laugh.

"You brought your girlfriend along?" the leader of the pack chuckled as he looked down at the green warrior on the ground. "Don't worry; we'll take _good_ care of her when you're gone."

Hylia heard the warrior murmur something out of confusion but she could not understand what it was. Instead she divided her focus between the three golden triangles that were floating mere metres away from her and the brutes that stood in her way.

"Stand down." Hylia ordered firmly of the thieves. "You will not hurt this man, nor will you take this relic."

"Oh yeah, little lady? Who is gonna stop us, eh? You got an army hiding behind that tree there?" the man with a red bandana chuckled and ran his tongue over his teeth.

Hylia's eyes grew into an intense stare as she raised her right hand and focused on the goons. "I will."

A push of air tossed the motley crew backward like a bunch of ragdolls through the air and up against the rock face that partly encircled the clearing.

Lowering her hand and letting out a slightly annoyed sigh, Hylia closed her eyes and turned her attention to the green warrior that was lying unconscious on the ground. "Oh no!"

* * *

"Are you okay?" a feminine voice questioned in the young warrior's ear.

He snapped open his eyes to see a glowing face staring down at him. He felt a wave of calm overtake him, when panic was what should have ensued. He could not explain this feeling. He felt at peace with the heavenly face looking at him with the most curious expression.

"Am I dead?" he whispered as the glowing woman had comfortingly placed a palm on his chest.

"No, you are very much alive." Her blue eyes sparkled back at him like gorgeous pools of ocean water.

"Who-who are you?"

The woman bit her bottom lip as she searched the young warriors face for an adequate answer.

"Are you an angel?" he gasped.

"You are not dead."

"That doesn't mean you aren't an angel..."

"You must be dead in order to see angels." The woman spoke factually as she took her hand off of the warrior's chest.

"How would you know that?"

Alas the warrior did not realize that he was speaking to a goddess who would know much of what laws the heavens abided by. One of these laws was the appearance of angels. The law was that angels only appeared to departed souls or to severely desperate, living souls.

When the glowing woman did not answer, the warrior spoke again. "Oh, I get it... you're one of those religious types. _Great_..."

The way he said his last word with such cynicism did not sit well with Hylia. She raised her eyebrows as she stood up and stepped away from the warrior's view. "What is your name?"

"It is most rude to ask for one's name when you have not even properly introduced yourself." The warrior teased a bit as he tried to sit himself up. He was able to prop himself up on his elbows and get his rescuer back into his line of sight. He was surprised to see that she was still glowing. "What are you?"

The goddess looked at her feet and over at the Triforce. "I-I'm..."

"Are you a witch?" the young warrior then looked at the Triforce as well. As if a bell rang off in his head, his eyes widened and he jumped to his feet in shock. "What are you, an immortal goddess or something!?"

_Play dumb!_ Hylia stepped back as her pupils grew large. "What are you talking about?"

"You're here to protect the Triforce, right? You were sent here to do just that! Answer me!" the warrior shouted. "You can't fool me! I did my homework before coming here. I went over every single possibility, including _this_. The way you appeared from nowhere, the way you're glowing and how you dealt with those imps all point to the obvious."

Hysterical, the warrior continued to rant and rave on about how he just _knew_ something like this would happen. Hylia considered knocking him out as well if he didn't calm down. It was not every day one met someone such as Hylia, but the goddess had trouble understanding that. It was not every day that Hylia met mortals, so she too held some excitement.

_He's good. He's such a clever man. No wonder I-I... stop thinking about that Hylia! This guy is calling you out! Do something! _Hylia shook her head innocently. "I can assure you that I'm not a goddess."

The warrior ignored the goddess' comment before rubbing his chin and looking at the unconscious men across the way. After getting beyond his initial shock, he was no doubt trying to figure out what kind of power the goddess possessed. "What is your name?"

Hylia stood a little taller as the question was posed to her. "Uh..."

"I just know you are a goddess, so do not act coy with me. I have read enough books to know exactly what is going on here."

The way he spoke, the way he stood, his morale, it was all beautiful to the goddess. It also helped that he was very attractive. Hylia had fallen victim to infatuation.

"My name is Hylia." She admitted as the warrior's blue eyes stared into hers.

"Goddess of Time?" the warrior raised his eyebrows and spoke softly. He knew of her and what she represented, much like anyone else in the land below the heavens. "Interesting choice you are."

"Interesting choice?" Hylia quizzed.

"The Goddess of Time is watching the Triforce. That is a very odd selection." The warrior smiled flirtatiously.

Hylia stepped back again, trying to make space between herself and the human. _Being reduced to this by a mortal? Hylia, come on! This is not acceptable!_

"Well, at least let me thank you." The warrior laughed a bit as he stepped closer to the goddess again and extended his hand for Hylia to take. "My name is Link by the way."

_What is this? What is he doing? Do something Hylia! _Hylia's eyes popped. "Link!" she repeated his name as she tried to regain her senses. She stood her ground and barked. "Mortal, do not take one step closer or thou will be sorry!"

Link chuckled but said nothing before stepping away. He was surprisingly comfortable and confident around the goddess, but that is probably because Link was proving to be a slightly shifty devil. I can tell you for a fact that Link's readings had most definitely taught him about the gods and what they liked to see. Confidence was one of those things and after getting over his shock, he eased himself right into his confidant role.

Hylia exhaled as her eyes wandered over to the Triforce. She remembered her duties and forgot about her trivial emotions. She looked back at Link and narrowed her eyes. "Leave this place and never return!"

Link laughed wholeheartedly.

Hylia bit her lip offended as she straightened her back. "Mortal, leave this place, now!"

Link continued to laugh.

"I find nothing funny!" Hylia scolded. "Are you mocking me?"

The warrior's laughter eventually subsided. "Your grace, you must know that the location of this golden power is slowly becoming common knowledge amongst us mortals. Men are beginning to narrow their scope on this area. I'm afraid these ingrates are only the beginning of a rush for this sacred treasure."

Hylia stiffened up a bit at the warrior's words.

"If I leave here, there will just be another sixty men coming back." Link explained with a sigh.

"And I will deal with them!" Hylia replied promptly.

"Yes, but would it not tire you?"

"I never tire."

"You _never_ tire, eh?" Link smirked a bit. A devious idea was beginning to brew in his mind as the cogs and gears cracked together within his brain.

"That is correct." Hylia nodded. "Now leave here."

_This is perfect. How can I get her to come with me? _The green warrior raised his eyebrows and looked over his shoulder towards the wilderness that surrounded them. _This could be tough... but having her around will make things a breeze. Play your cards right, Link, and revenge is as good as yours._

"Did I not make myself clear? I said leave here now!" Hylia barked.

"Will you come with me?" Link smiled a Cheshire cat grin.

The goddess stared at the warrior with a most perplexed gaze and did not answer.

"Come with me?"

"For what!?" Hylia snapped back.

_Tread carefully, Link. Don't step on her toes. Just tell her the truth... or, part of the truth. _Link dropped his posture and looked at his boots. "Listen to me, your grace. There is a family that believes they are divinely appointed by the gods. They are tyrants and they sent these men here." Link pointed at the unconscious men Hylia had knocked down. "That cannot be true, but they believe themselves to be righteous. Many moons have we prayed for the gods to smite them, but they have not answered our prayers. This family believes this to be proof of their divinity."

Hylia raised her eyebrows sympathetically. "That is not my problem. It is not my duty."

"Please, your grace, help my people." Link pleaded.

"I cannot help you. My duty is here." Hylia shook her head.

Link pointed at the unconscious men again. "These scumbags are just the beginning of a tidal wave! This family will send thousands of men here again and again until they get what they want. If they have the Triforce, they have it all! Once they realize that a goddess is guarding the thing they seek, they will create new plans to wear you out and eventually steal the power right in front of your eyes! Do not tell me that you do not tire because it is simply not true. Even you must recharge, and if you are not given time to recharge your energy you will not be able to fulfill your duties."

Hylia knew that the man spoke the truth. Gods needed time to refresh after using excessive amounts of power and what the warrior was telling her concerned her greatly. _Sheikai did speak of a family that believed themselves to be divinely appointed. So, these people are real. But what can I do about this? It is my job to make sure any threats to the Triforce are dealt with accordingly... but..._

"Move the Triforce if you want, the family has eyes and ears everywhere." Link explained.

_As do I... _Hylia thought to herself as a picture of her dear friend Sheikai flew through her mind. But then she realized that she would probably not see him as much as she would like to. _Keeping the Triforce on the move at all times would be better though. Perhaps I should travel with this fellow for a while, it couldn't hurt, could it? The main thing is to keep the Triforce out of harm's way, and if I am constantly mobile it will be impossible to track. And if this man speaks the truth of a family wishing to take this power for their own, then I must stop them as they indeed pose a threat._

"I wish to know why you were here, er, Link, was it?" Hylia crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, Link." Link nodded and bit his tongue a bit. "And I am here because I was trying to stop those guys! My parents died trying to protect that power and I wish to do the same!"

"Really?" Hylia's eyes lit up. Though it did not help that Hylia was attracted to the human, she believed what he said to be the truth... even though it may have only been the abridged version.

"So you'll help us?" Link gave the goddess a hope filled stare. He then extended his hand one more time. "Partners?"

Hylia looked down at the human hand in front of her, not completely understanding the meaning of the action.

"It's a handshake." Link laughed a bit with a hint of nervousness in his tone. "People do it when they do business, such as entering a partnership... even if it's temporary."

Hylia furrowed her brow. "I don't understand."

"Just, take my hand." Link ordered as gently as possible. As far as he was concerned, he had a big fish on the hook and all he had to do was reel it in.

After a moment of uncertainty, Hylia obliged and took the human's hand in her own.

Link felt a strange, yet soothing tingle shoot through his arm at the goddess's touch. It was unlike anything any human could ever experience on any normal day. It was a fascinating and most curious sensation that left the warrior somehow yearning for more.

That's not to say Hylia didn't feel anything either through the action. The former Goddess of Time was already somewhat attracted to the mortal, and the way he gripped her hand only increased her bizarre interest.

When they released their grips they both briefly stared at their hands before looking back at each other.

Link nodded. "Whenever you are ready, your grace, we shall be off. I will show you what we must do."

Hylia nodded back and looked at the Triforce with serious eyes. "Very well."

* * *

"No, Hylia!" Sheikai's troubled voice scolded at the former Goddess of Time's looking glass. "You can't be serious! This is very bad. This is very, very, _very_ bad!"

The messenger folded his hands behind his back and paced back and forth through Hylia's old domain. "I have to stop this. What can I do? I can't return to the land below for two more human days. If the others catch wind of this, there will be trouble."

He ceased his pacing and then kneeled down and peered into the mirror on the floor. "Hylia, this cannot happen. I-I can't allow it!"

"Can't allow what?" a strong female voice questioned from behind the messenger's back.

Sheikai turned around to see the black dress of the Goddess of Space gently swaying from side to side. Sheikai squealed her name. "Sister Quazah!"

The Goddess of Space looked down, peering through her yellow hair at the messenger with a most annoyed expression. "What is it that you cannot allow, Sheikai? Hm?"

The cold stare of the upper goddess made Sheikai's knees knock together as he tried to stand up and face her. "Well-well you see..."

"It's Hylia isn't it?" Quazah tilted her head back a bit and looked at her true sister's former domain. "What is wrong? She has only been down there for an hour or so."

Sheikai looked at the goddess with a distressed expression before returning his gaze to the looking glass on the floor. He knew that he should tell Quazah of his concerns for she would understand, but he couldn't bring himself to it. "I can't allow sister Hylia... to... to do this job by herself."

Quazah tilted her head back to it's normal position and looked at the messenger with suspicious eyes. "Try what you must, but you cannot lie to me, Sheikai. What is truly wrong?"

The messenger felt a chill run up his back for he knew he could not avoid the Goddess of Space's undeniable intelligence. If he did not tell her straight out, she would take it upon herself to find out. When she did learn the truth, she would return with the rage of seventy thousand scorned spirits from the underworld. As you see, Quazah did not like being lied to.

"Hylia and this human..." Sheikai pointed at the scene in the mirror.

Quazah narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. Her bracelets jingled a bit as they clashed with each other. She said nothing, and instead continued to watch her younger sister.

The goddess's silence made Sheikai nervous. He knew exactly what he had implied to Quazah, and he knew she would pick up on it for she was no one's fool. "Do you see?"

Her grey eyes began to cloud with trouble, and that was when Sheikai knew that the Goddess of Space truly understood what he had meant.

Quazah licked her lips quickly before removing one of her bracelets and nervously playing with it. "This is most a vexing issue _indeed. _I now see why you put up a fight in court over Hylia's selection. If I had known, I would have stood behind your arguments. Perhaps if I had done that, this would not be our predicament."

"What do we do?"

Quazah's worried eyes searched the mirror for a moment longer. Her eyes were mere slits at this point. Her face was cold, calculating, thin and far more mature looking than Hylia's ever was and she was also slightly taller than Hylia. All the same, it was easy to tell that she and Hylia were somehow related. Sheikai couldn't help but admire his dear friend's older sister and how she carried herself.

Eventually an answer escaped the Goddess of Space's reserved lips. "We shall not speak of this to anyone else. Understood?"

Sheikai's snapped his head and stared at Quazah with his eyes widening in surprise. He had truly believed that Quazah, being a second tier god, would have demanded that the issue be reported to the Golden Goddesses immediately. Yet her answer to the situation was to simply not speak of it.

"Sister Quazah?" Sheikai gasped a bit. "B-but!"

The Goddess of Space raised her boney index finger. "Hush now, messenger. Does anyone else know?"

Sheikai shook his head 'no'.

"Good. Let us keep it that way." Quazah waved her right hand nonchalantly.

"But what do we do if _something_ happens?" Sheikai pointed at Hylia and the human once more in the mirror.

The Goddess of Space was silent again for a moment before she formed another reply. "We tell no one. We shall deal with it when the time comes."

"_When the time comes_? What do you mean, _when_? Don't you mean, _if_?" Sheikai questioned frantically.

Quazah began to walk away, now with her staff materializing in her grip. "_I am_ the Goddess of Time."

It was not until the Goddess of Space _and_ Time disappeared that Sheikai realized what she had meant. In those moments of silence, when he thought she was merely forming an opinion, she was looking into the future. She had seen an event that was destined to be.

* * *

**Review it. Tell me what you think. I wanted to make the first hero a little different compared to the others. I thought about the good, the bad and the ugly of human nature and I wished to play that up in Hylia's champion. **


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